If the messages in the video look familiar to you, it's probably because the new features are similar to what Facebook offers in its messaging app. Facebook's Messenger app is known for its web link previews, typing indicators and, perhaps most notably, read receipts - the special indicators which let you know who has seen your message and which unlike in Apple's iMessage tool, you can't turn off.

Twitter has not announced plans to launch an entirely different app for direct messaging, as Facebook did when it separated Messenger from its main social networking app.